Which State is the Best?

[Rural King]

^ Really, I would have figured Kentucky might have held that title. Thats an interesting bit of info I just learned.

[Plasticman]

Due to our nation being very car reliant, i believe NC is the leading southern state in providing adequate transportation statewide for simple travel between the mountains and the coast as well as connecting the small and large municipalities everywhere.

This is where NC has so much going for itself right now but lets hope its high taxed reputation does not choke economic progress in the future. North Carolina is the highest taxed state in the south.

While I give NC the edge simply because it has the ocean on one side, I find the roads repulsive given the growth of such cities as Charlotte. Charlotte's roads are rough, poorly marked, and have been nothing but coninual snail paced repairs and building in the twelve years I've been driving through on a regular basis. I've driven through every southern state and North Carolina, while not the worst, is far behind both Tennessee and Georgia.

That said, North Carolina is still my favorite overall as you have nice mountains shared with Tennessee to the west and the beach to the east with sizeable cities sandwiched between. Simply a perfect setup.

[urbanesq]

I'm an NC natice so I'm biased, but I've spent lots of time in TN and GA, too, and I think that despite its faults, NC has the framework to be tops, based on its natural/geographic assets, cultural history, economic vitality, and regional diversity. The public university system is the country's oldest, and probably amoung the best in the world. Clay AIken and Fantasia aside, we're also home to a spectacular array of literary and artistic talent.

[Newnan]

north carolina has the most going for it in almost all aspects, georgia just has atlanta (which doesnt cover up for the fact that NC has Charlotte, but it also has the mountains and the beaches)

Georgia has mountains and beaches too you know, not ot mention Atlanta which is really a lot greater than you think it is.

[Jerseyman4]

Charlotte's roads are rough, poorly marked, and have been nothing but coninual snail paced repairs and building in the twelve years I've been driving through on a regular basis.

Thats mainly a Charlotte DOT problem, not the state.

The interstates are fine which are NCDOT responsibility.

[Plasticman]

Thats mainly a Charlotte DOT problem, not the state.

The interstates are fine which are NCDOT responsibility.

The interstates are the problem. I-85 through charlotte are just horrible.

[Jerseyman4]

The interstates are the problem. I-85 through charlotte are just horrible.

I dont think so, the roads are fine in my opinion. If anything, I-77 in south Charlotte is very tight and congested between I-85 and I-485 by the SC line.

[Plasticman]

I dont think so, the roads are fine in my opinion. If anything, I-77 in south Charlotte is very tight and congested between I-85 and I-485 by the SC line.

Actually I-77 was congested but not as beat up as I-85. It wasn't too bad.

I-85 through Charlotte is a shock absorber's worst nightmare.

[Jerseyman4]

I-85 through Charlotte is a shock absorber's worst nightmare.

What parts of I-85 are we talking about?

The area in northeast Charlotte was under construction for a while and now i believe the work is done by the Cabarrus County line. Otherwise, I-85 is not a bad road elsewhere in the county. Its not the best road maintained in the state because it sees the most local & regional traffic out of any interstate in the state (it does beat I-40 by a mile i think, ill give them 2nd place).

If you want to talk about destroying your car along the interstate highway system, try the Cross Bronx Expressway (aka I-95) through the Bronx. Now thats A NIGHTMARISH road to drive on and the potholes can get so deep in the winter time, people get stuck IN THE pothole!

[Plasticman]

What parts of I-85 are we talking about?

The area in northeast Charlotte was under construction for a while and now i believe the work is done by the Cabarrus County line. Otherwise, I-85 is not a bad road elsewhere in the county. Its not the best road maintained in the state because it sees the most local & regional traffic out of any interstate in the state (it does beat I-40 by a mile i think, ill give them 2nd place).

If you want to talk about destroying your car along the interstate highway system, try the Cross Bronx Expressway (aka I-95) through the Bronx. Now thats A NIGHTMARISH road to drive on and the potholes can get so deep in the winter time, people get stuck IN THE pothole!

Just the north I-85 through Charlotte has been horrible for years. But from what you say, it sounds like they are finally wrapping things up on the repairs. Good.

[RiverwoodCLT]

Just north of Charlotte is Cabarrus county which is 4 lanes. All of I85 in Charlotte has been rebuilt in the last 15 years to 8 lanes. I85 is being rebuilt in Salisbury to 8 lanes.

[Tennesseestorm]

Don't forget the other large metro area in Tennessee- The Tri-Cities metro..... (Bristol, Kingsport, Johnson City).

I live there and enjoy the Memphis-Nashville-Knoxville/Chattanooga rivalry and the (in my opinion)

[flith]

If I could vote for two it would be TN and NC. However, I can only vote for one and it goes to TN. I voted for TN because it has the same geographic diversity of NC except no beaches (big minus), low tax/more effecient state government (does more with less), and its cities are cities. By that I mean they are metro areas with a single definite core/downtown. (with the exception of the tricities). I like Raleigh and Winston Salem but I was dissappointed with them when I moved to NC. It just seems like a very large area of low density development, I don't think the downtowns reflect the size of the metros, and I feel that is because they are split among multiple cities. However, the more time I spend in NC the more I begin to appreciate what it has to offer, if you hand asked me this two years ago it would have been 1. TN 2. GA 3. NC

As for Georgia, I spent a lot of time in Atlanta and N. Georgia in the '90's. I don't feel that the state as a whole has as much to offer as TN or NC. I have to agree with everyon that has said "there are two Georgias Atlanta, and not Atlanta."